Janice Neumann of Reuters reports on the findings of a recently study on the effects of menthol versus non-menthol cigarettes.  The 180-month study was conducted at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia and included more than 5,500 participants between the ages of 45 and 80 who smoked at least 10 packs of cigarettes a year. The group of menthol smokers was compared to the group of non-menthol smokers.

The study resulted in the following findings:

• Both groups had similar frequencies of COPD exacerbations
• Menthol smokers were more likely to have severe exacerbations
• Menthol smokers were unable to walk as far in six minutes and were more short-of-breath
• Menthol smokers had a 29 percent higher risk of severe lung disease exacerbations

While the study was a short one and the results are far from definitive, this does warrant the need for further study. Of course, all cigarettes are bad for you so neither type is a good alternative.

You can learn more about this study by reading the full article here.